Two-footed Worm Lizard

Bipes caniculatus, (Lacepede)

Colouration: Above (just half the circumference of the body) dull, purplish brown. The lower half is yellowish-white.
Dimensions: The measurements given are from a specimen taken near the City of Mexico.
Dimensions: This species is confined to Mexico, as is the allied species known technically as Hemichirotes tridactylus, which has a very short tail--but little longer than the head. The third species of the family, Euchirotes biporus, appears to be restricted to Lower California, where it is recorded from La Paz.
Habits: Beyond the fact that these creatures burrow in soft soil, feeding upon worms and insects, their habits are unknown.

Stout, and much like a very large earthworm in size and form. The head and tail are blunt and much the same in outline. The mouth is very small. On the top of the head and on the chin are numerous and symmetrically arranged scales or plates. The remainder of the body, as well as the tail is covered with narrow, shining rings, which are so lined as to be divided into minute squares. Buried under the skin and transluscent scales of the head, the eyes may be faintly seen as obscure dots. They are practically of no use to the creature.

A short distance behind the head is a pair of small, though well-developed limbs which are very flat, and terminate in four well-formed toes; these are provided with moderately long and very sharp claws. There is a fifth and smaller toe, the same clawless.

The tail is about three times the length of the head.

Total Length . . . . . 9 inches.

Length of Tail . . . . . 1 1/4 inches.

Greatest Diameter . . . . . 3/8 inches.

Length of Limbs . . . . . 5/16 inches.

The Worm Lizards--Family Amphisbaenidae: Differing from the preceding family, which is small and covers but a limited area in its distribution, the Amphisbaenidae comprises some ten genera, these representing between sixty and seventy species which are distributed over extensive areas in both the New and the Old Worlds. Nearly forty species occur in the tropical latitudes of the Western Hemisphere; four inhabit the regions bounding the northern Mediterranean, and the remainder are African. But one species occurs in North America.

The largest genus of the family is South American--Amphisbaena. The majority of the species attain a length of about two feet and a diameter of about an inch. All are strictly subterraneous, and though possessing but rudimentary eyes that are covered by translucent scales and skin, are not strictly blind, as they distinguish the presence of a hand waved over them and will endeavour to bite. Captive specimens are quite hardy, and while displaying a marked repugnance for the light, will live indefinitely in a box that provides no medium in which to burrow. They feed voraciously upon earthworms, slugs and small pieces of raw beef. A gentleman from whom the writer has received several specimens, explains that young individuals may often be exhumed from ant-hills.

A description is given of the only North American representative of this family.